SHARJAH, 2nd November, 2026 (WAM) -- H.H. Sheikh Dr Sultan bin Ahmed bin Sultan Al Qasimi, Deputy Ruler of Sharjah and Chairman of the Sharjah Media Council, honoured the winners of the 13th Sharjah Government Communication Award (SGCA), organised by the Sharjah Government Media Bureau (SGMB), on Monday.
The ceremony highlighted the award’s role in recognising institutions and individuals that use communication to serve society, build trust and address development challenges through practices with measurable results and impact.
Tariq Saeed Allay, Director-General of SGMB, said communication represents a form of soft power that contributes to the advancement of societies by raising awareness, building trust and bringing institutions closer to their communities.
He said SGCA, launched under the vision of His Highness Sheikh Dr. Sultan bin Mohammed Al Qasimi, Supreme Council Member and Ruler of Sharjah, has attracted more than 9,500 entries over the past five years.
Allay added that the 13th edition continues to develop its categories in response to contemporary priorities including quality of life, cultural identity, youth empowerment, social responsibility and artificial intelligence (AI), alongside stronger international partnerships and knowledge exchange.
Media professional Ali Jaber, a member of the SGCA jury, said rapid developments in AI are reshaping media and communication and require government institutions to prepare for challenges including misinformation, deepfakes and cyberattacks.
He said 433 submissions from 31 countries across four continents passed the initial screening stage.
The jury recommended expanding recognition under the Best Official Spokesperson category to include supporting teams and individuals, studying the use of an AI agent in the initial screening of submissions while retaining human responsibility for judging decisions, developing criteria for responsible and innovative AI use, and strengthening crisis communication assessment to address misinformation, deepfakes and digital crises.
H.H. Sheikh Sultan bin Ahmed presented special recognition to the UAE Ministry of Defence for its national role in protecting the country’s security and achievements and for its efforts to strengthen national communication and public trust.
Brigadier-General Pilot Abdulnasser Mohammed Al Humaidi, Official Spokesperson for the Ministry of Defence, received the Outstanding Leadership in Government and Strategic Communication award.
Abdulrahman bin Mohammed Al Owais, Minister of Federal National Council Affairs, received the jury award for Best Arab Personality with Positive Social Impact, while the Mohamed bin Zayed Foundation for Humanity received the Global Impact through Soft Power award.
Under the Best Communication Targeting Youth award, Sharjah Youth won Best Campaigns Positively Impacting Youth Awareness and Practices for its “Your Summer With Us” campaign, while the Department of Community Development – Abu Dhabi won Best Communication Programme Supporting Emerging Projects and Youth.
Sharjah Police won the Outstanding Communication Award for a Higher Quality of Life, while the Ministry of Finance received Best Innovation in Integrated Communications and the National Emergency Crisis and Disaster Management Authority won Best Crisis Communication Strategy.
The Ministry of Economy and Tourism won Best Communication and Media Content in the government sector, while Egypt Oil & Gas from Egypt won in the organisations and private-sector category.
Dubai’s Community Development Authority received Best Innovative Communication Initiative for Community Empowerment in the government sector, while the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees won in the organisations and private-sector category.
The Ministry of Culture and Kalimat Foundation won their respective categories for Best Creative Communication Targeting Children and Adolescents.
The UAE Government Media Office won Best Campaigns Promoting Emirati Identity, while House of Wisdom received Best Campaigns Promoting Cultural Identity and the Arabic Language.
The Ministry of Climate Change and Environment won Best Use of Artificial Intelligence in Government and Institutional Communication.
In the individual categories, Egypt’s Basmat Nour Association received Best Youth Initiative in Communication, while Lieutenant Colonel Salem bin Ali of Dubai’s General Directorate of Identity and Foreigners Affairs won Best Official Spokesperson.
Himanshu Grover, Niharika Kushwaha, Varkey Pallathucheril and Nahla Shireen received the Best Research in Communication Sciences award.
Under Best Changemaker in Digital Content, Yousef Karam from the UAE won the under-18 category, while Maryam Derni from Morocco won the over-18 category.
In the smart communication competitions, Khalifa University’s Sanad project won the University Challenge, held in cooperation with United Arab Emirates University, while the Shaheen project won the AI Skills Camp award, organised in cooperation with Rubu’ Qarn for Creating Future Leaders and Innovators.
Among the Partner Awards, Macau University of Science and Technology received Excellence in Digital Community Engagement, while Zoud, the UAE initiative for financial sustainability and wellbeing affiliated with the Central Bank of the UAE, won Best Public–Private Partnership in Communication.
Haqdarshak won Best AI-Powered Communication for Community Service, the Thai Health Promotion Foundation received Best Communication Practices for Developmental Transitions, while Kyiv Digital won Innovative and Resilient Government Communication Initiatives.
H.H. Sheikh Sultan bin Ahmed also honoured the chairperson and members of the SGCA jury and the screening committee for their contribution to the 13th edition.
SGCA aims to strengthen professional practices and innovation in government and institutional communication by highlighting initiatives that achieve measurable results, build trust, raise awareness and encourage community participation.
The award has adopted a unified judging methodology based on results and impact, strategy and planning, and implementation quality, while continuing to develop its categories and criteria in line with changes in AI, digital communication, community empowerment and integrated communication systems.